Welcome Back, Please Pay Up (Updated)

A member of the Democratic Assembly majority remarked today on the low number of Albany fund raisers held and/or planned to date (we couldn’t think of any so far, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t happened on the DL).

The suspicion, of course, is that this is in response to Gov. Eliot Spitzer’sÂ pledgeÂ that neither he nor Lt. Gov. David Paterson norÂ topÂ second floor staffers will attend local fund raisers while the Legislature is in session. Â

There is one fund raiser of sorts scheduled for tonight, however, and it is connected to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan.

The event, being held at 6 p.m. in the State Room, which is almost literally in the Capitol’s shadow, will benefit the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee (DACC) and is for majority members only.

The members are typicallyÂ “encouraged” to pony up about $1,000 apiece, my source said. ButÂ this year,Â the suggested amount has gone up to $5,000. Â